Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Sorted by date Results 1237 - 1261 of 1557
I often find myself writing about technology and how I am kind of in this never-ending loop of it driving me crazy while at the same time being an absolute necessity in my life. A perfect example of this would be last Tuesday evening when I had to use my phone to record a county commission meeting. It’s a very convenient thing to be able to not have to attend everything in person and it is even better to be able to fast forward when somebody will not stop rambling – saying the same things about the same issue. As happy as I was to be able to...
Over the past few weeks, I've heard numerous reports of campaign signs and flags being vandalized and unfortunately, this is something that seems to happen all the time. In the paper a few weeks ago, there was a story about a local resident who helped to replace a sign that had been vandalized and while this was a feel-good story, she really shouldn't have ever been placed in that situation. Now perhaps more than ever before, politics has divided the residents of the United States and the...
It's cool this morning. There is a different feel to the air. The days are slowly getting shorter, my bird dogs are getting restless and I am listening for that first bugle of a bull elk down in the river bottom. It's that time when I, and all hunters, anxiously prepare for the glorious days we spend pursuing our quarry in the forests and uplands of our Montana. But this year things are different, and as we take to the field we must acknowledge that difference and change our behavior for the...
I'm writing this on a Wednesday and just moments ago I spent a few minutes glancing at the Internet and found out it was National Hot Dog day. I know in this day and age there seems to be a "national" day for just about anything, but in my mind, the hot dog is very well deserving of having its own day. If I had read the article just a few minutes earlier, I might have walked down to the convenience store and picked up a couple of hot dogs and loaded them up with toppings. The only problem with...
A few weeks ago, a letter to the editor in the Whitehall Ledger written by Chris Wagner discussed frustration with the condition of the Cardwell Sanitation Site. Wagner discussed his frustrations with the appearance of the site for both residents and those visiting the county as well as sharing pictures of what was being left at the site that is located near a fishing access site in Madison County. Wagner has every reason to be upset. First and foremost, I will have to say that the site is very...
As we celebrated our 244th Independence Day on July 4th, 2020 it is has become apparent for us to reflect on our nation builders who brought us to this amazing republic in 1776. A great part of our success in establishing this republic can be attributed to the 'rule of law' and our country's willingness to enforce that rule of law by supporting our law enforcement. In the second decade of our new millennium we once again remember our resolve. The Preamble of the Constitution of the American...
By Sheila M. Stearns Presiding Officer, Montana Districting and Apportionment Commission As the country celebrates its birth as a nation, one of the most patriotic things Montanans can do is stand up and be counted--in the 2020 Census. Or, more accurately, go online and be counted. Or mail in the census form. Or chat with a census worker. Every 10 years, the country counts how many people live in the United States of America. The stakes are large. Results of the census determine how much money M...
At last week's Town Council meeting, the governing body voted to open the Whitehall Community Pool early next month. The decision came after it was decided in May the pool would not open because of issues related to COVID-19. The decision was very well-received by many in the community who felt strongly about the issue. It was some really positive news -- people wanted to have a place for kids to go after being stuck at home for the past several months. Many also wanted a place for adults to go...
Hi Folks, The COVID 19 crisis can make everything else, including the Census, seem less important. But completing your Census form only takes 10 minutes and will benefit and influence our community for the next ten years. Census counts are used to determine how federal funding is distributed. Montana receives almost $2,000.00 every year for each Montanan counted in the Census for things like highway projects, health care, education, housing, and more. But for every person not counted, our...
This evening the Whitehall Chamber of Commerce will honor Whitehall Eighth Graders with a special event scheduled for Legion Park. This event is just one of the many recent hosted by the chamber in an effort to not only honor local students but to also help local small businesses. A very dedicated board of directors is making a difference during a time when they are needed the most and they are doing a fantastic job. With the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, events like "Rally...
There was some great economic news last week with the Golden Sunlight Mine announcing they have secured a customer for their Tailings Reprocessing Project. Mine officials have been working meticulously with the project and this is a very positive sign. Not only will this allow the mine to reduce their overall environmental liability, but this will also add additional jobs at the site near Whitehall, as well as tax revenue. By securing Nevada Gold Mine's (NGM) as a customer, it is a win-win for b...
For about five straight days I don’t think I slept more than a few minutes. Just about every type of trouble I could get myself into I did, and it felt so good doing it 2,000 miles away from home. There were rules, but I was like a 1970’s punk rocker in London and I didn’t care. Despite all of this, I also learned a lot about the history of the United States. I was scrolling through social media the other day, which I complain about all the time, but spend half my time on anyway. I came across someone talking about how their kid would not b...
I have witnessed a lot of aggressive debate over the past several weeks about how the government has been handling the COVID-19 pandemic. Some feel they are doing the right thing by keeping people at a distance and slowing it down, while others feel their rights have been stepped upon. That is certainly a debate I will never get into because nobody wins, people just seem to get mad. I also see non-stop bickering between political parties and that is also a can of worms I just cannot open....
With the cancellation of sporting events across the county, ESPN has really had to get creative to fill content not only on their network but as well as on their web site. One thing the network has always done well at not many people know about is their documentaries and "30 for 30" series which is high-quality television. They have also captivated viewers and earned big ratings the past couple weeks for the documentary "The Last Dance" which details the final world championship run of the...
I was sitting at the drive-in window at the A&W/KFC in Whitehall last when a memory I had blocked out for good reason resurfaced and I really wish it wouldn't have. As I sat waiting for my Papa Burger, I was reminded of my first job interview and it instantly made me want to roll the window and spew. This is probably the first time I had thought about this wretched 15 minutes of my life since I had interview number two. I was a 15-year-old sophomore in high school and was encouraged to get a...
My older sister lives in Los Angeles and probably has some of the best dining options in the country. She can experience the cuisine of so many different cultures, plenty of fresh seafood, lots of healthy options and of course can anytime go to In and Out Burger. Despite all the choices offered in California, her pallet has not completely changed since her days in high school in Rock Springs, Wyoming. She has not lived in her hometown for around 30 years, but one of her first stops is always to...
I am a true-crime junkie. It does matter if it is a book, television series, podcast, website, or documentary, I will check it out. To some, it certainly may sound like a macabre past time learning about serial killers or the mob, but I just cannot get enough of it. I usually spend at least some of my weekends working covering sports or other community events but this hasn't been the case for the past few weeks. This has allowed me to binge-watch a few television shows. I've always known people...
This week, I had a conversation with U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to discuss national responses to the COVID-19 outbreak and how the U.S. Department of Education can assist Montana schools. I encouraged flexibility for Montana schools. We also discussed equitable alternative education delivery and what that looks like in rural Montana, especially for special education and other at-risk student groups. As communities across Montana were forced to rapidly adapt in response to the...
I spend a lot of time cooking and take pride in the dishes I create. I would like to think they are generally pretty satisfactory but every once in a great while, it can be a real disaster. Unfortunately, this has been the case a few times too many lately. I absolutely love pizza and have tinkered with various homemade recipes over the years. I've always found that the biggest issue is getting the crust just right and believe I finally have this down. A few weeks ago, I decided I would make...
It is always important for residents of a small town to shop locally and to eat at local restaurants. This is even more important right now. While dining rooms at restaurants across the area are currently closed, they are still offering take-out and delivery options and people really need to think about supporting them as much as they can during this time. Having a dining room closed is such a big deal for a small-town restaurant and it is time for the community to band together to go and pick...
A little over five years ago Melissa and I went to go watch a UFC fight card in Las Vegas that featured Conor McGregor as well as many other well-known MMA fighters. It was a glorious time and I still think fondly on it often. Although most of the trip went smoothly with a lot of smiles, there was one hiccup that has also been remembered. We knew it was going to be a very long night of the fight card, so we made sure to stop and get a big meal at Wolfgang Puck's restaurant in Caesar's Palace....
I have so many fond memories of my childhood spent with my Grandpa and Grandma Smith. The two were a huge part of my life and we spent many days attending the University of Wyoming football and basketball games and many fun-filled vacations to places like Jackson Hole and Salt Lake City. There were numerous days spent at their house with countless hours spent in their backyard playing with my cousins. As many games as we would go to, there were always the ones we did not make and for those we...
Say the magic words "pizza party" at a school and chaos will ensue. There will be yelling, screaming, and the happiest group of kids you could possibly find outside of a birthday or Christmas morning. Kids love pizza and they like it even more when they can have it at school. As a kid I would also get very enthused when a teach mentioned pizza, in fact I would get pretty darn excited anytime anybody mentioned pizza --- and still do. During my elementary years, I would go just about every Friday...
Over the past several years I've covered a lot of high school basketball games in gyms across the western United States. Easily one of my favorite parts about this has been covering the annual 5B District Tournament in Belgrade and last week was no different. It is always filled with a lot of passion from both the teams and fans and an atmosphere that is hard to match. My first experience at the tournament five years ago was definitely an eye-opener and I had no idea what to expect. After a...
While there are certainly nights I can hop right in bed and fall asleep there are also those nights where I toss and turn for hours. It often times has to do with some stress for work but other times it is for a really mundane or strange reason and this was the case last week when at 2 a.m. I was thinking of a giant sandwich. The night had started off pretty good as I wondered to go to bed at 9 p.m. That may sound a bit early for some but not for me. I don't mind going to bed early and in fact,...
